Cigarette Smoke & Smiles
by m'1o1
Summary: StevexDarren AU Fic Rated M for future chapters Darren thought he had everything figured out but then that mysterious boy walked in to the cafe.
1. Chapter 1

"Shut up Darren, we're not that bad!" Sophie giggled, chucking a packet of sugar across the table at Darren, who was trying his best to keep a lid on his hysterics.

"Not that bad?" He managed to breathe out after his fit of giggles died down. "You're practically eating each other!"

Darren and Sophie were best friends and as her best friend, one of Darren's privileges was that he was allowed to mock Sophie and her boyfriend's over the top relationship and the worst he could expect was a packet of sugar chucked at him. Seeing as Darren and Sophie came to this cafe every lunch time he had gotten used to the attacks by now. All the other customers kept staring disapprovingly at them but since Sophie's boyfriend Sam worked at the cafe, they were never kicked out.

"I hate public displays of affection" Darren said, catching one of the sugar packets and tossing it back at Sophie.

"Excuse me? What about you and Debbie? You two are always attached to one another whenever I see you. You're worse than Sam and I, I swear!" Sophie giggled, ducking from the incoming sugar packet.

"Hey! That's not true and you know it. Debbie and I are low key, which is why we're known as the cutest couple in school, rather than you and Sammy boy over there!" Darren retorted, sticking his tongue out at Sam who looked up from the customer he was serving to flash a grin in Darren and Sophie's direction.

"Sam doesn't even go to our school!" Sophie shrieked, before returning to her assault on Darren with the sugar packets.

"Yeah and you never let us forget it!" Darren laughed, coughing and adjusting himself in his chair before putting on a ridiculously shrill voice. "_Sam is SOOO Mature! I'm so glad I'm dating an OLDER boy! Because Sam works he always buys me pretty things!" _

"That was a terrible impression." A voiced drawled.

This caused Darren to turn in his seat because the voice hadn't come from Sophie who was sitting opposite him, nor had it come from Sam who was still busy serving customers at the counter. In fact the voice had come from behind Darren. And stood behind Darren was a boy similar age to him with short brown hair jutting up in all different directions and eyes a distinct hazel colour. He was slightly smaller than Darren but he was slightly more muscular. He was dressed in tatty jeans and a dark leather jacket but the oddest thing about this boy by far was the fact that Darren had never seen him before in his life.

"Excuse me?" Darren muttered in disbelief, more to do with the person who insulted his impression rather than the insult itself.

"I said that was a terrible impression. I'd stick to your day job If I were you" The boy smirked as he leant against the wall opposite Darren and Sophie's table, arms folded across his chest and a rather bored expression plastered over his face as he scanned the rest of the cafe.

After the boy had finished scanning the room, his eyes returned back to the table and they soon settled on Darren. For a moment, both boys looked in to each other's eyes, their expressions unreadable and Darren could have sworn he saw a small smirk form on the lips of the mysterious boy. Sophie picked up on the tension between the two boys and cleared her throat nervously, trying to make this moment a lot less uncomfortable.

"Err, Darren, this is Steve. Steve this is Darren" Sophie said, whispering to Darren "he goes to our school."

"Well, I go when I can be bothered" Steve said, his expression not altering once except for that small smirk that formed when his eyes rested on Darren.

Darren tried his hardest to stare down Steve but something about the look he got in return from the boy made him feel nervous. He didn't feel like the stare from Steve was threatening in any way but there was just something about the way he was looking at him that made him feel funny inside, and the smirk didn't do much to help. Darren gulped as Steve held is gaze and within a second he realised what a mistake that was because he could see the smirk on Steve's face grow ever larger. The funny feeling in Darren's stomach intensified but he sure as hell wasn't going to let Steve see how nervous he was, although with a glare like that Darren almost felt as if Steve was reading his very thoughts right now. So instead Darren shrugged casually and averted Steve's gaze, playing with one of the sugar packets on the table.

"Does it matter If I do bad impressions or not?" Darren said in what he hoped was a casual tone. "Who asked for your opinion anyway?"

"No, I guess it doesn't matter... Darren, is it?" Steve said, every word oozing with boredom, Every word except for one. Darren. The way in which Steve said his name was not ladled with boredom but it was more of a soft purr, with a hint of curiosity. Almost as if Steve was testing to see how Darren's name sounded coming from his lips. The way Steve said Darren's name caused him to shift uncomfortably in his chair, he still wasn't sure what this feeling he got was but he could feel a blush creep on his cheeks. No. He wasn't going to let Steve think he was weak. But the damage had already been done, the smirk on Steve's face grew larger yet again and a twinkle formed in his eye as he laughed and walked up to the counter.

Although Steve was now on the other side of the cafe, chatting away to Sam at the counter, Darren couldn't help but still feel the tension. Sophie had started talking again but Darren had tuned her out and instead he focused on the boy at the counter. Everything about Steve seemed to irritate Darren, his cocky attitude, his shabby yet cool clothes, his smirk and even the way he stood, yet even though these things irritated Darren he couldn't take his eyes away from Steve. That was the strange feeling he got keeping his eyes on him, but he was convinced those feelings were merely of irritation.

After what felt like an eternity Steve left the counter and walked towards the door, Darren following his every footstep. Just as Steve passed their table Darren was convinced he saw his eyes give him the once over but before he could make any more eye contact Steve was out of the door. The slam of the door snapped Darren out of his momentary trance and he turned his head to see an expectant Sophie staring at him with her eyebrows raised, foot tapping on the floor.

"Sorry, What did you say?" Darren mumbled.

"I said, What's wrong with you? You seem so distracted..." Sophie said, not lowering her eyebrows.

It took a moment for the question to register in Darren's mind, but when it did the answer came flooding out of his mouth before he realised what he was saying.

"I just don't like that Steve kid, everything about him just gets on my nerves. I mean, who is he to just walk in here like he owns the place? I've never even seen him before and he's supposed to go to our school? Nah, I just don't like him." Darren said.

"Well, you must really hate him because you couldn't take your eyes off of him" Sophie said, absent mindedly playing with an empty sugar packet.

Darren coughed before replying. "No, I don't like him" he said sternly.

Sophie looked for a minute like she was going to say something but she settled for giving Darren a searching look before returning to casual conversation. Except Darren still couldn't focus, his mind was still on Steve. The mysterious boy had just casually strolled in to the cafe and knocked Darren completely off balance with his cocky attitude and all knowing looking in his eyes. He kept thinking about how much he hated Steve but that didn't change the fact that all he could do was think about Steve.

"Come on Darren, get a shift on, we'll be late for class if we don't leave now, lunch is almost over" Sophie said impatiently, making her way towards the door.

"Yeah, coming" Darren mumbled, leaving his chair and making to join his friend at the door.

Once he has, they both exited the cafe and made towards the school down the road but before they even made it ten steps down the road Darren was distracted by a cloud of smoke being blown straight in to his face.

"Hey! Watch where you're blowing that stuff" Darren spluttered, coughing and trying to waft the smoke away.

"Calm down there" drawled an oh so familiar voice.

"Should have known it was you" Darren retorted reproachfully, glaring at Steve.

Steve however was leant against a brick wall in a similar way to how he was leant against the wall in the cafe with the same smirk plastered on his face as he looked towards Darren. A cigarette was hanging loose in one of his hands, the other hand tapping against his leg absentmindedly. He was enjoying every second of this encounter.

"So were you waiting here to piss me off some more or what?" Darren said, determined not to falter his glare this time.

Steve laughed and put the cigarette against the brick wall behind him.

"Don't flatter yourself, Darren" Steve smirked.

And there it was again, the soft purr in which Steve says Darren's name. It was almost as if the cocky boy enjoyed watching Darren squirm uncomfortably. But it wasn't going to break Darren this time, he fought the blush that threatened to creep up on him and merely turned up his nose at Steve and turned on his heel and walked away, Sophie right beside him.

"He just wants a reaction from you" Sophie whispered, trying to comfort Darren.

Darren huffed in response and merely picked up his pace, determined to get the rest of the day over with and forget all about Steve.


	2. Chapter 2

The shrill sound of an alarm brought Darren out his doze and he rolled over and reached to hit the 'snooze' button. For some reason he was dreading school today, he wasn't too keen on school anyway, but a heavy feeling of dread had settled at the bottom of his stomach as soon as the alarm went off. Darren tried to shake it off and pretend he had no idea what the feeling was, but he knew all too well he was dreading the thought of running in to Steve at school. The encounter with the mysterious boy in the cafe yesterday had left him incredibly distracted and in a foul mood. He had tried his hardest to get Steve off of his mind by talking to Sophie, visiting Debbie after school and even going for a walk but his efforts were futile. No matter what he did Steve was always on his mind.

In fact, he was on Darren's mind whilst he was getting ready for school, whilst he was eating breakfast and whilst he was making his way to his first lesson. The only thing that distracted Darren's train of thought was when he could feel a body collide with his from behind and a pair of hands covering his eyes.

"Guess who?" A girly voice giggled in his ear.

"Good morning to you too Debbie" Darren said, before turning round and embracing his girlfriend.

Darren wasn't one for an over the top relationship but something inside of him made him grab on to Debbie tighter than he would normally do and kiss her with far more passion and enthusiasm than he would normally do. He could feel Debbie smile in to the kiss and her hands creep up his back and in to his hair and it was in that moment that Darren was sure. He was sure that this was what he wanted, and that Steve was just a minor irritation. Feeling a lot more upbeat than he had done before his minor epiphany he pulled away from the embrace and beamed at his girlfriend.

"As much as I'd love to stay here and do this all day, we'll be late to English and you know what Mr Dalton gets like when we're late" Darren said, taking Debbie's hand in his own and making his way towards the entrance to the school.

He could feel numerous pairs of eyes watching them but he paid no attention, too busy flaunting his relationship for the world to see. Perhaps if he wasn't so caught up in the moment he would have paid enough attention to realise one pair of hazel eyes were watching their every step. The glint in those hazel eyes suggested the person watching them was up to something, something that the person was going to enjoy very much.

Darren and Debbie slipped in to their usual seats next to each other just in time to avoid a lecture from Mr Dalton, hands still intertwined, Darren was reluctant to let go. He pulled out his notebook and pen and kept shooting Debbie loving glances every time Mr Dalton turned his back to write something on the board. He told himself that he was happy with Debbie and that this was absolutely what he wanted.

"Right then Class, I hope you're all prepared to do some serious work on Shakespeare" Mr Dalton said in his usual chirpy voice, only to be greeted by a collective groan from the class.

"Now then children, don't be too quick to judge. Shakespeare was one of the world's greatest playwrights" Mr Dalton said, the same chirpiness in his voice.

"That he was, Sir" said a voice from the doorway.

Darren thought nothing of it at first, but then his ears picked up on that familiar sarcastic drawl. Before he realised what he was doing he let go of Debbie's hand and swung his head around quickly to be, surprise surprise, greeted by the sight of Steve stood against the doorway arms folded against his chest and a schoolbag carelessly slung over his shoulder. Darren wasn't the only one who had turned around in shock, everyone in the class including Mr Dalton was staring towards Steve with an expression of mild curiosity.

"Ah Mr Leonard I see you've finally decided to show up to an English class for once" Mr Dalton said, dropping the chirpiness and replacing it with a long ad sarcastic drawl not too dissimilar to Steve's.

"That's because I finally found something in this class worth turning up for" Steve replied.

"Well, Yes. You see kids? Shakespeare is something to get excited about!" Mr Dalton said, obviously flustered by Steve's enthusiasm. Because of this Mr Dalton offered Steve a warm smile and waved his arm in the general direction of an empty seat at the back of the classroom.

Mr Dalton might have chosen to believe that Steve was referring to the works of Shakespeare but as he was answering Steve's eyes were trained on Darren, that familiar smirk plastered over his face. This was enough to harden Darren's features as he glared at Steve. _No, this isn't happening_ Darren thought to himself as he followed Steve's footsteps with his eyes. Darren could feel Debbie's hand take his own and squeeze it gently but he didn't respond. He was distracted by the mysterious boy who had once again casually strolled in to a room and knocked him off balance. He was so sure that he wanted Debbie but as he sat there all he could think about was how irritating it was for Debbie to grab his hand so tightly and how tired he was getting of the lovey dovey glances she kept shooting him. Only a minute ago he was playing a long but ever since Steve walked through the door he had returned to his previous foul mood.

Throughout the rest of the lesson Darren tried his hardest to focus on the subtext of Romeo and Juliet but all he could think about was those hazel eyes he was sure were still trained on him. He chanced a glance backwards and sure enough there was Steve slumped in his chair, his notebook sat on his table still unopened and his eyes firmly settled on Darren. Steve bit his lip whilst looking Darren up and down before they briefly flickered to his and Debbie's hands firmly locked together and then he snorted in disgust before turning to stare out the window.

This simple action sent thousands of thoughts running through Darren's mind. He had no idea why Steve had reacted like that and had no idea why his reaction made him feel so funny inside. He tried to convince himself that he imagined it but no, he couldn't fool himself this time because it was clear that Steve had snorted in disgust. Darren pretended he didn't care and tried his best to interact with Debbie but he couldn't take his mind of Steve, again. He hated Steve for doing this to him. It seemed like every time he had everything figured out he turned up out of the blue and made him doubt himself. Just thinking about how annoying Steve's habit is was enough to get Darren to storm out of the classroom and march towards the bathroom without even saying goodbye to Debbie.

Darren slammed the bathroom door and stormed over to the sink before splashing water in his face. He was shaking uncontrollably and he hated himself, he hated himself for being so weak and letting Steve get to him like this. They had barely said two words to each other yet just a simple smirk and a fleeting glance was enough to have Darren bent over the sink of the boys bathroom in school revaluating everything he was sure of in his life. He wasn't ready to confront these strange feelings he had whenever he saw or thought about Steve, all he knew was that they definitely weren't just feelings of minor irritation.

He heard the door creak open and footsteps approach him but he couldn't bring himself to look up from the sink, although he already knew who would be standing there.

"What do you want?" Darren said, trying to dress his words up in a tone of utter disgust.

"Just wanted to check to see if you'd stopped with the over dramatic hissy fit" Steve said, still with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Your girlfriend was asking everyone if they knew where you were going in such a hurry..." Steve said.

And something about the way Steve said this sentence made Darren look up from the sink and look over to the other boy. Instead of the usual cocky front Steve put up and his typical sarcastic drawl he had said this sentence with a hint of... _jealousy._ He had averted Darren's eyes when he mentioned Debbie and instead of a smirk on his lips his jaws were clenched tight as he absentmindedly picked at a loose string on his shirt. This was the first time Darren had saw a hint of vulnerability in Steve and it made him laugh out loud in surprise and confusion. Darren's reaction caused Steve to look up from his shirt and once again return to his usual knowing look.

"What's so funny?" Steve pouted.

"I don't get you, Steve. You walk around all full of yourself, you keep giving me funny looks and messing with me. What am I supposed to do? Do you enjoy toying with me?" Darren said, still smiling in shock over Steve's display of real emotion.

"Yeah, I do. Want to know why?" Steve said that smirk returning to his lips.

This wiped the smile off Darren's face immediately. Now that the conversation had been shifted from Debbie, Steve's cocky demeanour had returned and he was now in control of the situation, causing Darren to blush and try and retreat slowly in to the wall. If Steve enjoyed seeing Darren squirm he was definitely enjoying every last second of this moment. Darren was now fully pressed against the sink, a blush painting his face a bright pink colour. As he stood there motionlessly he realised Steve was slowly moving towards him. Although he might have been moving slowly, to tease Darren perhaps, he was so close to him within seconds he could feel Steve's breath against the nape of his neck and his hand gently stroking his cheek.

"I said... Do you want to know why?" Steve whispered in Darren's ear in a sultry tone.

Darren closed his eyes and gulped before caving in and whispering oh so quietly... "Yes".

"Because it's just too easy" Steve whispered, before tilting Darren's face gently to the side and pressing his lips against his neck, leaving a trail of kisses up it before settling on a spot and gently nibbling at it, leaving a small bruise.

Darren moaned in satisfaction as Steve continued to attack him with kisses. He wanted to be strong enough to resist Steve, he wanted to be able to walk away but something about the control Steve had over the situation kept him paralysed on the spot. It wasn't until Steve's lips reached Darren's and he gently slipped his tongue in that he realised what was happening. Steve, the mysterious boy who hated grated on his nerves since the first time he laid eyes on him, was kissing him. This scared the heck out of Darren and he finally found the strength to push Steve away. He didn't have the courage to look Steve in the eye, let alone say anything to him so before the situation could get any worse he picked up his bag and fled out of the bathroom leaving Steve behind but a million thoughts still racing through his mind.


	3. Chapter 3

Darren wasn't a very profound person, he was very easy going and usually took each day as it came but every now and then it would all get a little bit too much and he needed to get away to clear his head. Whenever he wanted to do this he would always make his way to the Old Hill. The Old Hill was a large mound which overlooked the city Darren lived in. He loved it up here, nobody ever really came up here so it was almost like his sanctuary, a safe place where could just sit down on his own and think things through without being disturbed. Today was one of those days where Darren needed to go to The Old Hill.

Yesterday had been eventful to say the least. The fact that Steve had actually kissed him sent his brain in to overdrive and the fact that he had ran away just made it worse. A thousand thoughts were running through his mind as he sat slumped against a large rock. _Why did he kiss me? Why did I run away? Wait, why am I questioning why I ran away? Did I enjoy it?_ Eventually it all got too much for Darren and he reached out for a small pebble and through it into the foliage of a nearby tree in frustration before burying his head in his hands and groaning. He was briefly distracted by a faint sound of rustling coming from the tree he hit with the rock but he couldn't bring himself to look up. _Probably just a squirrel _he thought to himself. Except it wasn't just a squirrel, as mere seconds later a pair of feet landed softly on the ground in front of Darren, barely making any sound at all.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Asked the boy stood in front of Darren.

"What are you doing here?" Darren spat, avoiding the question and the eyes of the boy in front of him. Any other day he'd have felt that tingly feeling in his stomach or a blush creep up on him when he heard that voice but he'd gotten so used to Steve's sudden appearances over the last couple of days he had come to expect him wherever he went.

"Just admiring the view" Steve said, moving to sit down next to Darren.

Darren didn't even bother to try and convince himself that Steve meant the view of the bustling city below him because after yesterdays encounter he very well knew that Steve was referring to him. This minor comment caused something to stir inside Darren and before he knew what he was doing he had shot up from the ground and marched over to the opposite side of the hill, leaving Steve slumped there on his own.

"Stop doing that" Darren said forcefully, eyes focused on the cars moving in and out of the city below them rather than the boy propped up against a rock behind him.

"Doing what?" Came the reply from Steve in a mock innocent tone.

"You know exactly what. Stop messing with me, stop making those little comments. You might be enjoying every second of it but I'm not. I have a girlfriend, who I happen to love very much and I don't need you constantly popping up trying to ruin that for me. Haven't you got somebody else to bother?" Darren spat.

"You say you love your girlfriend, but I heard that little moan in the bathroom. I've seen those little blushes creep up on you and yes I've seen you squirm. But I've never seen you do any of those things with her" Steve said in a calm voice.

This caused Darren to turn on the spot and to face Steve, who was still slumped against the rock eyes firmly trained on Darren. But something was different, Steve wasn't smirking and the twinkle in his eye was missing. The look Steve was giving Darren was an unreadable one and for some reason this made Darren even more uncomfortable than the smirk did.

"And about yesterday's abrupt ending, you don't need to explain yourself. It's ok to be scared" Steve said in what almost sounded like a soothing tone.

For some reason this comment stung Darren. He didn't like the fact that Steve was trying to comfort him, it made him appear weak and after he tried so hard to resist Steve he sure as hell wasn't going to show him how terrified and confused he was.

"Scared of what?" Darren said, imitating the same innocent tone Steve had used earlier.

"You know what. Scared of confronting your feelings and scared of saying it out loud" Steve said his expression still unreadable.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. You just... caught me by surprise in the bathroom, that's all" Darren said, trying to convince himself more than Steve.

"That's a terrible excuse. You can pretend all you like but you and I both know how you really feel. You don't want me to stop messing with you because you like the attention" Steve said, as calm as ever.

"You really do think a lot of yourself don't you? Well, you can _pretend _I like your teasing and your little games if you want but just know that I don't." Darren said, his temper flaring and his voice rising now.

"Not only are you terrible at impressions, but you're also a fucking awful liar. You can add that to your list of many talents. Why can't you just admit it, Darren?" Steve said frustration apparent in his voice as he made to stand up and walk towards Darren.

"I have nothing to admit to" Darren sneered, turning his nose up at Steve.

Within a flash Steve was so close to Darren their foreheads were touching and Darren suddenly felt as he had done back in the bathroom. He wanted to push Steve away but he was paralysed, his body wouldn't let him move. He could feel Steve's breath cling to his neck like yesterday and then the feeling in his stomach returned.

"I think you do have something to admit" Steve whispered in Darren's ears in the same sultry tone.

Darren willed himself not to react by moaning so he kept his eyes closed in concentration but as he felt Steve's hands snake around his waist and claw at his back and his hot breath against his skin he couldn't help but react. Except this time he reacted in a much more noticeable way, his body had finally given in to Steve and by the way that Steve tightened his grip on his waist he knew that once again Steve was in control of the situation.

Steve leaned back slightly to admire Darren's features, scrunched up in concentration trying his hardest not to cave. His eyes quickly scanned down to Darren's neck and in particular the spot where a small bruise had formed. Steve took one of his hands from Darren's waist and reached a finger out to gently caress the love bite he had given him. Darren gulped and moaned at the sensual way that Steve was stroking his neck and this caused that smirk that always made Darren feel funny inside return to Steve's face. This smirk only grew larger as Steve's eyes scanned Darren's body and he noticed the bulge forming in Darren's jeans.

Before Darren could say or do anything, Steve was on his knees and making fast work of unbuttoning his jeans. Steve slid them down to his ankles and grabbed his member through his boxers, gently stroking it and teasing Darren in a very different way. Darren knew this was crazy, that he shouldn't let this happen especially in a public area but in that one moment all rational thoughts had simply fallen from his mind and all he knew was that this had to happen.

Steve had been teasing Darren though his boxers for so long that he wasn't expecting him to pull them down but when he had the cool air hit him like a train and this caused him to gasp in surprise. However he soon got over the shock as he felt Steve gently stroke at his inner thigh before his hand slowly made its way to Darren's erection. Darren arched his back at the sudden contact and he saw Steve smirk in satisfaction, but before he could protest Steve began to stroke slowly, making his way up and down Darren's shaft before picking up speed.

"St... Steve..." Darren moaned, closing his eyes and throwing his head back.

Steve moaned as Darren whispered his name and once again picked up speed, collecting Darren's precum and using it as lube. The pleasure that Darren was feeling at this moment of time was indescribable and the feeling only intensified when Steve took his member in to his mouth. The feeling of Steve's warm lips wrapped around his shaft and his tongue working its way up and down it all became too much for Darren to handle.

"Steve I'm gonna... I'm gonna..." Darren moaned, reaching out to grab on to Steve's hair and he arched his back at the sensation.

Steve merely continued to moan and began to take Darren further in to his mouth. Darren began to thrust his hips in unison with Steve and before he knew what was happening he was blinded by a flash of white and an overwhelming sense of pleasure took over him as he unleashed his load in Steve's mouth. After he reached his climax he looked down to see Steve still knelt in front of him, licking his lips and swallowing not taking his eyes off of Darren. Steve reached out and pulled up Darren's boxers and fastened up his jeans for him, Darren was in no position to refuse as he stood there motionless sweating and panting heavily.

Steve stood up and looked Darren in the eyes before casually saying "Are you ready to admit it yet?"

"I... Err..." Darren gulped, still in a state of shock.

Steve only smirked and winked at Darren.

"Come and find me when you are" he said and it was then Steve's turn to walk away and leave Darren stood there utterly bewildered.


	4. Chapter 4

"Come on, pick up the phone!" Darren muttered under his breath as he paced up and down his room impatiently. He was about to give up entirely when the ringing came to an abrupt stop and was replaced by the voice of his best friend, Sophie.

"Darren? What's up?" Sophie asked.

"Well, I don't really know how to say this over the phone... Can you be at my house in about 5 minutes?" Darren replied.

"Sure" came the short reply from Sophie before there was a soft clicking sound and the line went dead.

There was truth in what Darren said, he didn't know how to explain what happened last night over the phone, but he had no idea how he'd manage to tell his best friend face to face either. The more he thought about what he was about to do, the more convinced he was that it was a terrible idea. He nearly rang Sophie back on numerous occasions to tell her not to bother and to go home but a voice at the back of his head told him that she was his best friend and she deserved to know, and that it might help to talk to someone about it.

Darren heard the sharp sound of the doorbell ring through the house and he nearly toppled down the stairs in his eagerness to get Sophie in as soon as possible. _It's now or never, just tell her what happened_ he told himself as he turned the lock and stepped aside to let Sophie over the threshold. Sophie strolled in to the house and threw her jacket at Darren before making a beeline towards the sofa and crashing down on it as if it were her own. As best friends, one of Sophie's privileges is that she is allowed to treat Darren's house as her own and he couldn't say anything about it.

"Can I get you a drink?" Darren asked, throwing Sophie's jacket back at her.

"Quit stalling and tell me what's bugging you" Sophie said in a muffled voice from underneath her jacket, before adding "You can get me a coffee too".

Darren laughed and shook his head before walking towards the kitchen to make Sophie her coffee, except whilst he was absentmindedly stirring in the milk the only thing he could think of was the events of last night. Needless to say, when Darren went to clear his head he wasn't expecting to get in to an argument with Steve and then end up getting sucked off by him all within the space of half an hour. He wanted to feel ashamed, to be able to say he regretted it and he wished it never happened but he knew deep down that wasn't the case because if he didn't want it to happen he would have walked away. He had tried so long to fight off the feelings he got around Steve he was sick and tired of pretending, and last night just proved he wasn't strong enough to resist, but he still had to talk to someone about this, this wasn't something he was used to dealing with. And on this thought, Darren took a deep breath before stepping back in to the living room and handing Sophie her coffee.

"Thanks" She said before taking a tentative sip.  
"So, what's on your mind, Shan?" She asked, focusing her full attention on Darren.

"Well, I was at the Old Hill to think things through and that kid Steve turned up. Anyway we got in to an argument and then something kind of... happened" Darren said, trailing off at the end.

"What happened?" Sophie said sternly.

"Well we sorta... he kinda..." Darren said, struggling to put it in to words.

"Darren..." Sophie said

"He sucked me off alright?" Darren yelled eventually, wanting to get it over with as soon as possible.

His revelation was greeted by the sound of spluttering and choking and a muttered chorus of "Oh my God". Darren sat there patiently, waiting for his friend to recover from the shock before looking her dead in the eyes with an expression that read _help, what do I do?_ And in typical best friend fashion Sophie gave Darren a knowing look before clearing her throat.

"Well, I think it's safe to say I'm just a little bit surprised, you said you didn't like him! I mean how do you go from not liking someone to having them on their knees sucking you off? Anyway, I've got to ask. How did it make you feel?" Sophie said.

Darren took a moment whilst he contemplated his answer. The question was simple enough, but the answer was impossible to condense in to a couple of sentences. The immense feeling of pleasure he felt during that one moment in time was nothing but pure heaven, nothing else he had experienced compared to it and he was sure nothing he might experience in the future could either. The feeling he got wasn't simply of primitive desires or lust, because he had experienced these feelings multiple times when we was with Debbie, but it was a feeling of something much more deeper. That feeling was what Darren was having trouble putting in to words.

"It felt... incredible" Darren managed to finally say.

"And how did it feel with Debbie?" Sophie asked, a knowing smile on her lips.

"It was good, don't get me wrong but... it just didn't make me feel the same way" Darren said, choosing his words carefully.

"Well then, I think you and I both know where this conversation is heading. Debbie's a nice girl, I like her, but if Steve's the one you want then you should be with him. Don't compromise your own happiness just because you're a little bit scared" Sophie said wisely.

Darren couldn't help but grin because he knew his know it all best friend would have the perfect answer. That was the great thing about Sophie; she made everything a hell of a lot easier for Darren. He knew what he was about to would take a lot of guts, cause a few tears to spill and it would be incredibly scary but the way Sophie talked to him, understood him and didn't judge him once made him truly believe that he could do this and for that he would always be grateful towards her.

"Sophie, I don't know how to thank you for being the best fucking friend in the entire universe" Darren said, still grinning.

"Well, for starters you can make me a better cup of coffee, there wasn't enough milk in this one" Sophie said, grinning.  
"But the best thing you could do for me is go out there and make yourself happy. I love you and I want you to be happy and just from the fact that you can't stop grinning I know you'll be happy with Steve" she added, before picking up her jacket and making her way towards Darren to give him a warm embrace before making her way to the door, and then she was gone.

_Sophie's right_ Darren thought to himself. There was no point in him trying to resist the surge of feelings that kept rising up inside of him anymore. He wanted to be with Steve and sure, that confused and scared the hell out of him, he had always thought he was straight having never thought about another guy in that way before but something about the mysterious boy was different. It didn't feel like he was about to turn his world upside down, it felt right that he should be with Steve. As he came to terms with this he remembered Steve's parting words from last night.

"_Are you ready to admit it yet? Come and find me when you are" _he had said before leaving Darren on his own. And this memory alone was enough to convince Darren, the fact that Steve had him sussed before himself was proof alone that this was meant to happen. To anyone else it might seem crazy, two strangers who barely know each other taking such a huge dive in to the unknown but this situation was different, there was a special connection between the two boys that had been there since day one. And with the knowledge of this connection being there keeping him safe, Darren rose to leave the house in considerably higher spirits than he had been over the past few days.

Darren had been wandering the streets aimlessly for about 20 minutes in search of Steve when he finally found him. Except when he did find him, he wasn't on his own. He was stood leant against a brick wall with an incredibly beautiful girl draped across him. Darren froze, his insides turning to fire as he glared at the girl, all he could think about was how short her skirt was and how desperate she looked tossing back her hair and laughing way too loudly at everything Steve said. This was Darren's first taste of jealousy and he absolutely hated it. Suddenly the feeling intensified and before he knew what he was doing, Darren was marching across the street to the pair leant against the wall.

"Hey Steve, can I have a word?" Darren said, straining to keep his voice under control.

Steve's head snapped towards Darren at the sound of his voice and his expression was mingled with confusion and guilt, as the girl next to him shuffled closer and fluttered her eyelashes at him, shooting Darren filthy glares every now and then. As she leaned in closer to Steve he pushed her away slightly, not taking his eyes off Darren.

"Sure, let's go somewhere else" Steve said, leading the way, leaving the girl to stand there on her own utterly insulted and embarrassed and Darren to follow.

After nearly a minute of walking in silence Steve came to an abrupt stop and turned on the spot to face Darren, his eyes asking a million questions.

"What did you want to talk about, Darren?" Steve asked.

"You know that thing you wanted me to admit? Well I was on my way to find you so I could admit it but I'm having second thoughts after seeing you practically fucking that whore in the middle of the street" Darren replied harshly.

"Hey, it's not like that!" Steve replied, offended.

"Well then please explain" Darren said, folding his arms across his chest and raising his eyebrows expectantly.

"I've been around the block in my time, I'm not gonna lie. I've always found it easy to talk to people, some might say I'm a bit of a flirt. You know it's never taken me more than a grin to get someone in to bed so trust me, if I wanted that girl we wouldn't still be standing on the street. I didn't do anything with her because I was waiting for you. You see you're the first person who's ever put up a fight so I'm not going to give up on you that easily. So go on, admit it." Steve said, not blinking once as he stared deep in to Darren's eyes.

That's all it took. Just that one look was enough to set Darren's feet in to motion and to carry him forward to a deep and long lasting embrace with the boy stood in front of him, hands raking his back and exploring every inch of his body before he leaned back slightly and planted a soft and tentative kiss on Steve's cheek. The moan in satisfaction he got in response was enough for Darren to move slowly to kiss Steve on his lips, softly and gently kissing them before briefly running his tongue along his bottom lip. The kiss only lasted for a few seconds before Darren retreated from the embrace, checked to make sure nobody had seen them and then looked back in to Steve's eyes.

"I admit it, I like you Steve" Darren said.

Steve's face split in to a huge grin, not that flirtatious smirk that Darren had grown accustom to, but a genuine smile that was filled with happiness which set off fireworks deep inside of Darren's stomach. This one smile alone was reassurance that he was going to be very happy indeed.


	5. Chapter 5

Darren spent the rest of Sunday in total bliss; cuddled up in to Steve with his head laid against his chest. Steve was fiddling with Darren's hair whilst the boy sat in front of him got absorbed in some video game. Steve couldn't help but adore the way Darren moved about whilst he played the game, cheering now and then every time he killed one of the enemies. Both boys were on cloud 9 and had to keep pinching themselves whenever they caught stolen glances from each other. It seemed a shame that such a perfect day had to come to such a swift end but before he knew it Darren was saying goodbye to Steve at the door and going up to bed, on his own.

He tried to get to sleep, but his heart was beating so fast and his mind was racing at a million miles per hour he found it impossible to settle down. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so happy and he never would have guessed that the reason for his happiness would be a _boy. _But there was no denying it; Steve was making him incredibly happy. And by the time Monday morning rolled around Darren was on his way to school with a not so subtle spring in his step. Darren reached the school gates in no time and before he knew it a pair of arms wrapped around his shoulder.

"Had a good weekend?" Sophie asked him

"Yeah, I guess you could say that" Darren said, smirking.

"Oh yeah, get up to much?" Sophie said knowingly, winking at her best friend.

"Well, I took your advice and I found Steve and I told him how I felt. I have to thank you Sophie, If it wasn't for you I would be nowhere near this happy!" Darren said, grinning.

Sophie was about to reply when she was cut off by the sound of a shrill voice from across the school yard.

"DARREN!" The voice shrieked.

Darren turned around and he felt like his stomach dropped in to his stomach as he saw his girlfriend Debbie running towards him, looking extremely hysterical.

"Where have you been all weekend! You didn't answer any of my texts or calls!" Debbie said, practically tackling Darren to the ground as she ran to hug him.

"Yeah, phone ran out of battery and I lost my charger... Sorry" Darren said meekly, reluctantly returning the embrace. A couple of days ago he would return such a hug just as enthusiastically but now he just thought about how clingy and desperate Debbie looked. He wasn't sure whether the feeling he got when Debbie hugged him was because he was so happy with Steve or guilt for having to end things with her. Maybe it was a mixture of both.

Both way Darren's mood was depleted vastly and by the time he was half dragged to English lesson by Debbie he was utterly miserable, a vast contrast to how he felt a mere 24 hours ago. He had settled down in his usual spot besides Debbie when he heard the click of the door opening and he looked up to see Steve arrive, late again. When he saw Steve enter the room he realised his hand was still intertwined with Debbie's and a sudden rush of guilt hit him, but this time he felt guilt because of what this must look like to Steve. _I really can't win in this situation, can I? _Darren thought to himself. He looked up to Steve apologetically, trying to speak a thousand words with his eyes but Steve only clenched his jaws and made his way to the back of the room.

Darren spent the rest of the lesson having a mental argument with himself, trying to decide how best to handle this situation. He knew he had to be with Steve, he was absolutely certain of this. The spark in his relationship with Debbie just wasn't there anymore and the way he felt around Steve was something he couldn't deny. He had made up his mind; he had to break up with Debbie. The only difficult part was when to do it. How could he do it? How could he bring up the courage to end their relationship? Thoughts like this crept in to Darren's mind now and again and made him feel incredibly uneasy about what he was planning on doing. The pressure was made worse as all lesson he could feel Steve's eyes burning in to the back of his head.

Darren was so immersed in his mental argument that by the time the bell rang and he was snapped out of his trance he realised that he didn't even finish writing the date on his notes. But there were more important things for him to worry about, as he caught a glimpse of Steve leaving the classroom in a hurry.

"Hey, I just have to have a quick word with a friend; I'll speak to you at lunch?" Darren said, turning to face Debbie.

She looked slightly taken aback, but nodded and continued to pack her things up, leaving Darren free to chase after Steve.

Darren didn't have to go far to find Steve absent mindedly kicking at the wall at the far end of the corridor. He made his way towards him, trying desperately to think of what to say.

"You know if you keep doing that you'll mess up your shoes" Darren said, moving closer to Steve.

"Yeah well I need to take my frustration out on something" Steve said, avoiding Darren's eyes and clenching his jaw once more.

Darren hated himself for it but in that moment all he could do was focus on how god damn attractive Steve was when he was angry. His brow furrowed, his pout and his slouch just made him seem a thousand times more perfect. But Darren knew that now was not the time to admire Steve's beauty.

"Look, do you think I enjoyed being with Debbie? No, listen to me Steve. I don't want her, I want you. You make me incredibly happy and I hate to get all cheesy and shit on you but I think I'm falling for you. And I get why you're angry, I would be too if I was in your position. And I promise that I'm gonna end it with Debbie. Do you think you can forgive me?" Darren said firmly.

For a second Steve said nothing, but just as Darren was about to launch in to another sappy speech he took his hands out of his pockets and looked up to Darren, a wide grin plastered on his face.

"Do you really mean all that?" Steve whispered

"Yes, every last word" Darren said, not taking his eyes off of Steve.

Steve's face exploded in to a huge grin which Darren found infectious and so he grinned too. However this was short lasted as Steve proceeded by punching Darren in the arm.

"What was that for?" Darren asked, rubbing his arm

"For making me the girl in the relationship, that's your job!" Steve said playfully, winking.

Darren laughed took off down the corridor, Steve right by his side. That conversation was just what he needed, a way of getting all his thoughts off of his chest and he felt a lot better about his situation. Sure it would be crushingly painful to end it with Debbie but he would cross that bridge when he came to it, and with Steve waiting for him at the other side he knew he would be able to get through it.

Darren made his excuses with Debbie, which she was not best pleased about, so he could spend the rest of the day with Steve. By the time school had finished the couple found themselves lying side by side on top of the Old Hill, talking about anything and everything.

"Hey Darren?" Steve said

"Yeah" Darren replied

"I'm not gonna rush you, you know. Whenever you feel like you're ready to end it with Debbie is fine with me. I'll wait for you no matter how long I have to wait. I get it, I know that it can't be easy for you, ending a relationship that you were so sure of and I know you don't want to hurt Debbie in all of this. Because that's the kind of person that you are, and I know I haven't known you that long but I've never felt so sure about someone in my entire life. I feel like I've known you forever and I'm not going to let you go." Steve said, reaching over to grasp Darren's hand.

"I thought I was the girl in this relationship?" Darren asked smugly.

"You are. But I just had to get that off my chest. I've never been very good with expressing emotions, but I guess that's because I've never met someone who is worth getting all emotional over, until I met you. I remember when I first saw you in the coffee shop, I usually think someone is cute but then nothing more. But with you, I wanted to know more and I'm just saying, I'm glad I did" Steve said.

Darren paused to take in the gushy declaration coming from Steve's mouth before turning on his side to face him.

"Dude, you are such a fucking girl" Darren said, laughing.

"Oh yeah? Wait until we get in to the bedroom then we'll see who the real girl is" Steve said, adopting a sultry tone.

"I'll hold you to that" Darren replied, squeezing Steve's hand.

The boys laughed and went back to casual conversation, laughing and joking over silly things and just generally enjoying each other's company. They ended up talking with each other for hours and hours without getting bored, and that was something they both craved in a partner. And now that they had found each other they weren't going to let go of their happiness.

_**A/N: So this was a short chapter that might be slightly crappy because I wrote it at 1 o clock in the morning but oh well aha. It's mainly just a filler chapter and I just wanted to write this note to let you know that things are gonna get a lot more dramatic and angsty and sexy in the next chapters. So please continue to read, rate and review it means a lot to me. Thank you! **_


	6. Chapter 6, Part 1

Darren was awoken from his slumber from the consistent buzzing of his phone. It took a few minutes for the sound to register but when they did Darren crawled out of bed and checked his phone, groaning as he saw the time flash up on the screen. _7:01 am, who on earth is texting me at this time? _He thought to himself as he rubbed his eyes. However Darren's face lit up as soon as he saw that one name on the screen.

"Steve..." Darren whispered to himself, breaking out in to a smile.

After spending a good minute or so staring at the name on his phone grinning like an idiot Darren finally decided to actually read the message.

The message simply read "Hey babe, meet me at the old hill at half 7 x". This woke Darren up and got him speeding towards the bathroom to take a quick shower and get dressed. All the time he couldn't help but wonder why on earth Steve would want to meet Darren at such an unusual place at such an unusual time and no matter how many times he thought about it he couldn't come up with a logical answer. After brushing his teeth and shovelling down some breakfast he left a scribbled note for his parents explaining that he went to school early, and he set off towards the Old Hill.

Darren found his feet carried him to the top of the hill in no time but when he got there, it was completely empty. There was almost an eerie silence about it, only emphasised by the sound of the wind whistling through the leaves. He shook off the feeling that he was being set up and made his way towards a large boulder, sitting himself down on the ground with his back leaning against it. He couldn't help but appreciate how beautiful the town he lived in looked like so early in the morning. The birds chirping and the sunrise lighting up the greenery... It really was a relaxing site that put to rest any fears Darren had when he first arrived at the Old Hill. Just as the feeling of calm washed over Darren, that's when it happened.

"BOO!" Steve yelled loudly, jumping from behind the boulder.

"JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!" Darren yelled, jumping a mile away from the boulder clutching at his chest. All he could do was shoot Steve an evil glare as he was bent over the boulder in hysterics.

"I'm sorry but I couldn't resist!" Steve said through his laughter, jumping to his feet.

"Well, I'll forgive you. Just this once!" Darren said, fighting the smile that threatened to creep up on him.

The two boys said nothing as they both simultaneously ran towards each other, nearly tackling each other to the ground with such a tight embrace, laughing and smiling. After holding on to each other tightly, they pulled away from each other with their arms still wrapped around each other's waists. There was a brief moment of eye contact before Steve's eyes briefly flickered towards Darren's lips. That was all it took for both boys to lean in to each other, their lips joining softly and sweetly at first, Steve's tongue tracing Darren's bottom lip, asking for permission to enter. Darren moaned in reply and parted his lips to allow Steve access. This resulted in a fierce battle for dominance which, of course, Steve won. Although the kiss was perfect for both of them the need for oxygen proved too overwhelming and the boys eventually pulled away.

"As much as I'd love to stand here and kiss you all day, we've got school soon. So are you gonna tell me why you wanted to meet up here?" Darren asked.

"Ah yeah, well you see that's why I wanted to meet you here. We're not gonna go to school today, I've got something much more fun planned!" Steve replied, that oh so familiar smirk playing across his lips.

"You mean we're going to... skip school?" Darren asked, a flutter of nerves erupting in his stomach at the mere suggestion of it.

"Come on Darren! Live a little" Steve said, sensing the doubts Darren was having.

"Well, Ok then..." Darren said after a lengthy pause.

And before he knew it, they were racing down the hill hand in hand. Darren had never felt so alive. It may have seen stupid to anyone else, _who hasn't skipped school right?_ But after years of such a dull and mundane relationship with Debbie just this one simple act of playing truant was almost like setting him free in a way.

"Ok... You're WAY faster than me!" Darren panted, as they reached the bottom of the hill.

"Ah come on slow coach, if we don't keep moving everyone from school will see us and we'll get caught out!" Steve said, not out of breath at all.

Darren couldn't help but admire Steve's enthusiasm; his laugh and smile were just so infectious. As they slipped through all the back alleys Darren couldn't help but admire Steve and just appreciate how much he's done for him in the little time that they've been together. In this very moment Darren made a promise to himself that he would never let go of Steve and always remind him of how much he cared for him.

"Where are we going in such a hurry anyway?" Darren asked as they came to a halt at the end of a road he wasn't familiar with.

"We're going over there!" Steve said excitedly, pointing to an old abandoned building opposite them.

Darren's heart dropped and he felt the flutter of nerves erupt in his stomach again as he set his eyes on a hideous, crumbling building. _This is what I skipped school for?_ Darren thought to himself. Sensing the second thoughts Darren was having, Steve turned to him and gave him a reassuring smile.

"Trust me, it's gonna be worth it!" Steve said, making his way towards the building and leaving Darren to follow.

As soon as Darren stepped foot inside he was so taken aback by the sight that greeted him he actually stepped backwards. The outside of the building might have been grotesque and derelict but the inside was a completely different story. The dark room was lit by a large number of candles scattered around, giving off a romantic glow. In the middle of the room stood Steve, arms spread wide open and a grin on his face.

"What do you think?" Steve asked, nervous about what Darren might say.

"What do I think..? How did you..? Where did you..? Why did you..? It's perfect!" Darren practically squealed, before running to embrace Steve.

Darren pulled away slightly from the embrace so he could lean in and plant a small kiss on Steve's cheek. But this wasn't enough for Steve, he wanted more. He leaned in and kissed Darren forcefully, not that he was complaining. When Steve's hands made their way down Darren's side and on to his ass his intentions became clear. Darren thought he would flinch or pull away or something but he was so caught up in the kiss he just went with it, deep down he knew this was going to happen sooner or later and he felt like he was ready.

The next couple of seconds was a blur of steamy passion, as both boys clumsily removed each other's shirts and unbuttoned each other's jeans, eventually leading to Steve on top of Darren still kissing passionately and exploring every last inch of each other's body with their hands. But suddenly Steve pulled away and the lack of contact confused and upset Darren, but when he looked up he saw that Steve was simply applying some lube to his fingers and that's when it hit him. This was real, it was really going to happen and suddenly a million different thoughts were racing through his mind. _What if I'm no good? I've never done this before with a guy, what if he hates it? What if he leaves me?_ But all of these thoughts were pushed out his mind immediately when Steve pushed his finger in to Darren. At first it was nothing but intense pain but that soon disappeared and instead Darren was hit by a wave of pure pleasure.

"Mmm Steve..." Darren moaned, his head tossed back and eyes rolling in pleasure.

Steve grunted in pleasure at the sound of Darren moaning, because he knew this meant he was pushing all the right buttons. And when he felt like they were both ready Steve pulled his finger out from Darren and instead replaced it with his rock hard erection. When he first penetrated, Darren let out a small scream and scrunched his eyes up in pain causing Steve to pull out quickly, concerned.

"No... Keep going" Darren whispered, reaching to grab Steve's hand to reassure him that he was ready.

Steve squeezed Darren's hand and then continued to thrust in to him. The constant moans and groans he got in response were enough to keep Steve going, every sound that escaped from Darren's soft, kissable lips made him weak and brought him closer to the point of release. Steve reached forward and wrapped his hand around Darren's erection and began to stroke in time with the thrusts, forcing another shriek out of Darren. Except this time it was a shriek of pleasure and it was one that Steve returned. Eventually it all became too much for both boys and they both came, blinded by the intense pleasure.

Steve collapsed on top of Darren, both naked and sweaty bodies moulding in to one as they both tried to recover from the intense encounter. Darren couldn't help but smile to himself because of how happy he was and... How _sure _he was. He thought this would be a confusing time for him, full of questions and doubts but there was something about Steve that erased all of those doubts. After today he knew that he is definitely where he wants to be.

Darren smiled to himself as he felt Steve's strong arm wrap around his stomach and he couldn't help but lean in to his hold. He partly hated himself for being the "girl" in the relationship but the way Steve's muscular arms were wrapped so tightly around him he knew that he was safe because he would always be there to protect him. Both boys were in pure bliss, cuddled up to each other yet saying nothing. There was nothing to be said, the day was perfect enough already and it was still morning.

However their moment of bliss was soon interrupted by a buzzing sound. At first they were both so immersed in each other's company they didn't notice it, but after consistent buzzing Darren finally snapped out of his trance and decided he better go and investigate. It didn't take long for him to identify the buzzing sound as his mobile phone, still in the pocket of his jeans carelessly flung to the other side of the room.

"You know I thought these candles were romantic and stuff at first but now that I think about it they were a real safety hazard... We're lucky we didn't burn the room down" Darren joked, whilst pulling out his phone.

"You worry too much" Steve said from the other end of the room.

"Darren?" Steve asked, concerned when he wasn't greeted with a response.

"Steve, I think I'm in trouble" Darren said, not taking his eyes off of his phone.

In a split second Steve was by his side, arms around his shoulder.

"Why?" Steve asked, his concern growing more and more by the second.

"I just got this message from Debbie... it says "meet me at my house this afternoon, about 6. We need to talk, it's important." What do you think it could be about? You don't think she knows do you?" Darren said frantically.

"Hey hey calm down, you're getting yourself all worked up. You know what girls are like, it's probably nothing" Steve said, trying to calm Darren down.

"Yeah, you're probably right" Darren said, putting his phone away.

But he wasn't convinced that he was right. He was grateful for what Steve was trying to do but that text was so out of character for Debbie that he just knew something was seriously wrong and he wasn't going to be able to rest until he finds out what it was.

_**A/N: So yeah that was my first time writing smut so sorry if it sucked but I wanted to put a bit of everything in this chapter.. smut, fluff, drama etc and all the angsty stuff is coming up soon.. I promise! Thank you for still taking the time to read all my chapters and please feel free to rate & review etc... your feedback means a lot to me **_


	7. Chapter 6, Part 2

Darren spent the rest of the day incredibly distracted. He wanted to enjoy his day with Steve, so he laughed and smiled every time Steve made a joke to please him, but deep down his thoughts was still very much focused on the mysterious text he received from Debbie. Steve could sense Darren's distance and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't bring him back down to Earth. Eventually 6 o clock came ever nearer and Steve bid Darren farewell and wished him luck, silently cursing Debbie for ruining what should have been a perfect day. But he kept his jaw clenched and his mouth shut as he walked away, leaving Darren to make his own way towards Debbie's house.

Darren found himself feeling sick with nerves as he rang the doorbell to Debbie's house. After having all day to think about what the meaning behind the text could have been he'd worked himself up so much he just wanted Debbie to put him out of his misery. So it came as a great relief to Darren when Debbie opened the door to her home and invited him inside, immediately making her way to her room. Once they both made their way inside, Debbie slammed the door shut and began pacing up and down. Darren sat down on her bed and couldn't help but notice how tired she looked, not just tired but stressed as well. _This can't be good _Darren thought to himself as he silently watched her practically tear her hair out. Eventually he thought that he better break the silence.

"What's wrong Debbie?" Darren said bluntly.

"I don't know how to tell you Darren, so I'm just gonna say it. I'm pregnant." Debbie said, tears beginning to swim in her eyes.

Darren was left speechless. _No, this can't be happening... It just can't be happening!_ He thought to himself as he desperately tried to make sense of the situation. It felt like a tonne of bricks had just been dropped on him, he knew something had to be wrong but he had no idea that this would be the situation.

"You're... pregnant? Are you sure?" Darren stuttered, his face frozen in shock.

"Yes, I must have taken about 5 tests just to make sure" Debbie said, tears now streaming down her face.

"Well, what do you want to do about it?" Darren asked.

"I don't know Darren! This is all such a mess, this wasn't supposed to happen. Oh god, how am I going to tell my parents? What are you going to tell your parents? I don't know what to do Darren!" Debbie yelled, in hysterics now.

"Hey it's gonna be ok, I know it's confusing and might seem like the end of the world but we'll find a way through this" Darren said, taking Debbie in to his arms and holding her tight.

She relaxed in to his hug and that's when a wave of guilt hit Darren. Debbie was vulnerable and she needed him more than ever, and in her time of need he was about to leave her. But he just couldn't do it, as much as he loved Steve and knew he belonged with him he just wasn't the sort of person who could leave Debbie to deal with this on her own. So right there he made the decision that he would have to put on hold the perfect life he had planned with Steve. He had been brought straight back down to the real world and it was time he stood up and took responsibility. He was going to be there and support Debbie, despite the fact that there was no flame left in their relationship, because he truly believed that it was the right thing to do. He could only hope that Steve would understand and that he would forgive him one day.

"I tell you what we're gonna do. We're gonna get some rest and first thing tomorrow we're going to go see the school councillor, she's trained to give advice in this sort of situation and it's all completely anonymous. Then you can make a decision and whatever you chose, I'll support you" Darren said, not letting go of Debbie.

"Thank you. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you here. I love you Darren" Debbie whispered, tightening her grip.

"I know you do" Darren whispered.

Despite the fact that he still cared deeply for Debbie he couldn't bring himself to lie to her. Of course he would be there to support her but he could never tell her he loved her when he didn't mean it; she deserved better than that. What she needed now was someone to be strong for her, and support her whether she chose to raise their child or not and he was determined to do exactly that. He knew it wouldn't exactly be easy, there were all sorts of things to think about such as accommodation, money, education and god knows what else but he knew that he was determined enough to make this situation work.

Darren offered to stay with Debbie over night, he didn't like the idea of leaving her alone in this state, but she refused saying she didn't want a fuss and sent him packing with the promise that if it got too much for her the first thing she would do is call Darren. As he left Debbie's home and made his way towards his own he tried to make sense of the situation. He had acted calm and in control for Debbie's sake but now that he was on his own the full magnitude of the situation he was in hit him like a tidal wave and it actually became difficult for him to breathe. _WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? HOW AM I GOING TO LOOK MY PARENTS IN THE EYE?_ He screamed to himself, gradually feeling himself slipping away from sanity. However Darren was brought out of his state of panic by the buzzing of his phone.

It was Steve.

The message read "How did it go with Debbie? Anything I need to be worried about? x" and Darren was once again hit with a wave of guilt that he was all too familiar with. However he had no time to feel sorry for himself so instead he swallowed his pride and opened up his phone to text a reply to Steve.

"Hey, I think we need to talk but I'd rather do it in person. Can you be at my house in 5 minutes? X" Darren typed out, pausing before hitting the send button.

Darren arrived at his house shortly after and he made his way up to his room, trying to think of how he could possibly explain this situation to Steve. But he had no time to think about it in any real depth because before he knew it Steve was ringing the doorbell. Darren raced down from his room to let him in, grabbing his arm and pulling him in to his room without saying a word.

"What's going on Darren?" Steve asked.

"Sit down and shut up, this is hard enough for me already" Darren said forcefully, avoiding Steve's eyes.

The silence and creak of the bed that followed told Darren that Steve had done as he wished.

"Alright, I don't know how to say this so I'm just gonna say it. Debbie is pregnant, Steve. She's pregnant and I've... I've told her I'm going to be there for her. You have no idea how difficult this is for me but I have to do the right thing. So we can't do this anymore. I'm really sorry Steve but I hope you understand" Darren said, still avoiding Steve's eyes.

Darren braced himself for an onslaught of name calling, accusations and shouting in general but it never came. Eventually his curiosity got the better of him and he looked up towards Steve. The site that greeted him was one that sickened him however. He had expected the anger to be evident in Steve's eyes but what he saw was something completely different. It was _hurt _and _betrayal; _Steve's face may have been motionless and his jaw may have been clenched but nothing could hide the story his eyes were telling. All of a sudden Darren wished that Steve had yelled at him, or thrown something, because this silence was unbearable.

"I didn't even know you slept together..." Steve whispered almost eerily quiet.

"Yeah, it was just before I met you. We only did it once" Darren said, feeling more and more ashamed.

"I still don't understand. Literally a couple of hours ago you were telling me that you loved me and that you were going to leave Debbie. I don't see why just because you got the bitch pregnant that has to change?" Steve said, his facial expression not changing but his voice steadily rising.

"Hey, don't talk about her like that! She's in a really vulnerable state and it's my responsibility to support her. It's the right thing for me to do!" Darren said, suddenly finding his own voice.

"Do you love her?" Steve asked calmly.

"Pardon?" Darren replied.

"I said... do you love her?" Steve said through his clenched jaw.

"I... N-No. I don't love her." Darren stuttered.

"Do you love me?" Steve asked.

"Yes" Darren said.

"Then WHY do you have to leave me? I just don't see why we can't make this work I mean... plenty of people in our situation make this work why are we any different? Please don't do this Darren!" Steve said, his voice rising frantically.

"Because I have to Steve... I want to be with you but it's just not right. I have to do the right thing. Please tell me you understand?" Darren said, looking to Steve and hoping for an answer.

The only reply Darren got was Steve storming out of his room, however before he left he glanced over his shoulder and looked Darren right in the eyes. That one look was filled with so much hurt and betrayal that he began to question whether or not he really was doing the right thing.

"I still love you so much" Darren whispered as Steve slammed the door shut.

_***The Next Morning***_

Darren and Debbie sat next to each other in the room of the school councillor, incredibly nervous about what they were going to do. They were both so deep in thought about the situation they weren't paying much attention to what the councillor, Mrs Morgan, was saying.

"So that's enough about what I do... how can I help you two?" Mrs Morgan asked in a cheerful tone.

Darren and Debbie both looked at each other unsure where to begin, but with an encouraging nod and smile from Darren, Debbie found the courage to speak up.

"Well you see the thing is... I recently found out that I'm pregnant and I was just wondering what our options are..." Debbie said, still feeling incredibly ashamed and confused.

"Well, there are a number of options at your dispos-" Mrs Morgan began, but she was cut short b someone interrupting them by opening the door.

"Excuse me Sir but this is a private session!" Mrs Morgan quipped, obviously irritated by the rude interruption.

"Oh, believe me Miss this won't take a minute!" said the person who had interrupted them

Darren turned around in shock to see Steve stood at the doorway. Although he may have been wearing a massive grin on his face Darren could still detect hints of sadness and hurt in his eyes and he had a horrible feeling that this session would not go as planned.

"You see I just wanted to speak to the happy couple and congratulate them, because I believe they're expecting! But I also thought it was only fair that Debbie knew the truth about the _'love of her life'_" Steve said in an acidic tone.

"Who on earth are you and how do you know so much about our business? And more importantly what do you mean "the truth"?" Debbie asked suspiciously.

Steve barked a satirical laugh, verging on maniac, and shook his head.

"Oh Debbie, you really don't know do you? You're boyfriend; the father of your child isn't exactly the saint you think he is. You see... He's been fucking _me _as well. Yeah and the difference is he actually LOVES me. He told me so last night that he was only leaving me to be with you because It's the, and I quote, "Right thing to do". He doesn't love you, he just feels guilty about knocking you up and if anything he's only staying with you to clear his own conscience rather than to help you. Anyway that's all I wanted to say so I'll be on my way now!" Steve said, turning on his heels and walking out of the room.

Steve had left chaos in his wake, as Debbie and Mrs Morgan were both shouting and causing hysterics but Darren wasn't paying any attention. The only thing he could think about was that now was the real test for him; where do his priorities lie? He could stay in this room, grovel to Debbie and beg for forgiveness in order to protect what could be his future family... Or he could chase after Steve and beg him for forgiveness and end up with the life he had dreamt of and find a way to make it work with Debbie.

It was time for Darren to choose.

_**A/N: So yeah... DUN DUN DUNNN! Plot twist! Aah I hope this chapter didn't disappoint so yeah please feel free to rate and review, your feedback so far has been amazing and I really appreciate it! I'm hoping to draw this story to an end soon so I thought I'd add a bit of drama to keep you on your toes ;) **_


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